Radio frequency ablation catheters are used to ablate or destroy tissues by the use of electrical energy. A radio frequency ablation catheter may be inserted into a vein or artery. The use of X-ray based medical imaging techniques is known for guiding the placement and operation of radio frequency ablation catheters. Radio frequency ablation catheters have been successful in ablating heart tissue that causes rhythm disturbances and for the ablation of tissue in other therapies.
Modern conventional EP ablation catheters for use with X-ray imaging systems are equipped with tip cooling, mainly to avoid overheating and charring of tissue next to the tip, to avoid blood coagulation, and in consequence to allow for more RF power for deeper and faster ablation.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,388,378 discloses a device for protecting the conductive parts of an electrical device from current and voltage surges induced by the oscillating magnetic fields of a magnetic resonance imaging system.